Why J.D. Martinez To The Giants Is Highly Unlikely
By Will Burchfield
Twitter @Burchie_kid
DETROIT (CBS DETROIT) - Of the many teams J.D. Martinez has been linked to in trade rumors, the San Francisco Giants have popped up the most.
But don't expect a deal to come out of it.
As the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea reported on Wednesday, the Giants would only acquire Martinez if they were able to unload a similarly-paid player in the process.
As for J.D. Martinez, Giants would make trades like that only if they move a player making comparable money.
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) December 7, 2016
The main reason Martinez is on the market, of course, is because the Tigers are looking to trim payroll. (Or are they?) Any deal that required them to take on salary would defeat the very purpose of the exchange.
Even if GM Al Avila was okay with simply keeping costs level, there's only one Giants player who would represent a fair return for Martinez: Brandon Crawford. And San Francisco presumably has little interest in trading its Gold Glove-winning, Silver Slugger-winning shortstop.
If a third team entered the negotiations, things might change. But the Tigers and Giants are unlikely to reach an agreement on their own.